Azimio: Ruto worst dictator

• Mar 15, 2022

Azimio: Ruto worst dictator

By Justus Karanja

The Azimio la Umoja movement has dismissed Deputy President William Ruto as a dictator not fit to lead the country.

In a press statement signed by Prof Makau Mutua (pictured), ODM leader Raila Odinga’s campaign spokesperson, Azimio took issue with Ruto for kicking out journalists from the launch of his presidential campaigns at Kasarani gymnasium.

Prof Mutua said Kenya and the world witnessed how a Ruto- Unoted Democratic Alliance (UDA) regime would switch off the lights of democracy if — God forbids — it ever came to power.

“In its most important public function to date — deliberations on the coronation of Mr Ruto as UDA's presidential candidate — Mr Ruto decided to remove the media from the venue where those deliberations were done.  In effect, Mr Ruto decided to deny the Kenyan public and even their own members the opportunity to see for themselves how and why they took the decisions they did. The opacity and secrecy of UDA is a chilling reminder to Kenyans what Mr Ruto would do if he captures state power,” said Prof Mutua.

He added: “The decision to choose a party's candidate for President of the Republic must be open, accountable, and transparent. It cannot, and must not, be done in darkness where a small cabal of elites and oligarchs choose the presidential candidate.

The media is the eyes of the people, and it must be allowed to cover all public events, absent any concerns for national security.  As we all saw last Saturday, Azimio conducted its nomination of the Rt Hon Raila Odinga in full view of the media and the public. Nothing — absolutely nothing — was kept away from the public.”

Prof Mutua said for over two hours, Mr Ruto and his circle of UDA apparatchiks shut the Kenyan people out of a decision that's central to democracy.

“It's a sad day for democracy but we at Azimio aren't surprised that Mr Ruto and UDA reconfirmed their anti-democratic DNA.  That's why the Kenyan people should choose Mr Odinga and Azimio in August to take this country forward instead of backwards to dictatorship and one-man rule,” Prof Mutua added.